Event Studio Closing Its Doors

It's always sad when one of the retail spaces along Division Street goes dark. Yesterday we noticed a sign out front of Event Studio (2027 W Division St.) announcing a going-out-of-business sale. It was not all that surprising, as they've been having a 25% off everything sale for what seems like months, leading some neighbors to believe the store was in distress. This assumption was correct, unfortunately -- the last day of business will be near end of this month.

The boutique, which specializes in invitations, home gifts, shower gifts, wedding planning and other event and design consulting services, is headed up by partners Myca Smith and Stephanie Hlina. When reached at the store, which has been open for two years, Smith gave us some background behind the closing.

• They'll be closing for good, unfortunately. There are no plans to move at this time or re-open at a later date.
• The last five months have been significantly more quiet than ever before. "I'm not sure if it's the weather, the snow or what, but the streets have been really quiet," said Smith. She noted that foot traffic was extremely inconsistent and felt a big slump in sales during the second full year of operations.
  
• Hlina and Smith found it very difficult to pinpoint their audience's needs, a refrain that is echoed by many other merchants on Division Street. "It would be snowing, and we'd be packed, then it would be 70 degrees, and we'd be dead," said Smith. "And then the next week, the opposite. You just can never know in this neighborhood."
  
• The pair still intends to do special events in the future. More details can be found by following their Facebook page.

I think its interesting to note that the store opened in 2008 -- at the height of the slumping economy -- yet its first-year sales was significantly better than the second. This is a pair that was focused on serving the neighborhood -- as opposed to being a destination spot -- and the neighborhood support seemed to taper off as the store became less of a novelty. There are, of course, time-tested mainstays in the neighborhood when it comes to dining, but for boutiques, does Division Street skew toward the new? How does one stay relevant in this fickle neighborhood? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Best of luck to the team at Event Studio.